Kevin O'Hagan

Kevin specialises in Safety, Health & Environment, Clinical Risk and Utility Law.

He has over 12 years’ experience advising clients across a range of issues including casualty, clinical risk, long-tail industrial disease, catastrophic injury, Insurance Public Liability/Employers Liability and white collar crime.

His key clients include: Northern Ireland Water Ltd, Iceland PLC, New Look, Poundland Ltd, Walmart, CNA Hardy, BUPA Dental Services Ltd, Priory Group, Covéa Insurance Plc and Corvelia Ltd.

Kevin is regularly involved in catastrophic injury and fatality matters valued in their millions. He is able to take matters from their inception involving issues of product liability, the Coroner’s Court and Criminal Proceedings right through to their conclusion before the High Court.

Kevin has also published civil and criminal Health and Safety Guidelines on Managing Serious Incidents where there is risk of criminal investigation. Kevin also has a keen focus on clinical risk appearing before the court involving matters ranging from Dental to O&G matters.

He is the account manager for a key client, Northern Ireland Water and Kevin’s approach to service delivery has been pivotal in securing contract retention.

Relevant experience includes advising:

• Plaintiff who suffered electric shock using a toaster at work. Claim for £5million as a result of inability to use left hand, with effects spreading and further consequences. The case settled for £100,000. The client’s excess was not breached, the costs were kept down and considerable damages award was avoided. The client saved in excess of £5,500,000 on costs and damages. Reputational risk was avoided (toaster was own brand which had been involved in a recall), and the client was assisted in sending a clear message to staff that all matters will be robustly defended.
• On a medical negligence claim brought against an orthopaedic surgeon arising from death following arthroscopy surgery on deceased (apparently fit, male, 53 years old) with poorly controlled blood pressure. This was a high value matter. As a result of the findings additional parties were added to the civil proceedings and liability was reduced greatly.
• A personal injury claim involving a plaintiff who tripped. The asset belonged to a client. The client sought advice and defence of proceedings. The results were that the client was released from proceedings with Department for Infrastructure settling the matter. This demonstrates in-depth knowledge and expertise in statutory undertaker and government body led litigation. Litigation liability was avoided and confirmed client’s status. There was a saving of £60,000 to client.

Kevin has been recognised by Chambers for a number of years now as a “top ranking individual”, and was part of the Proclaim Litigation Defence Team of the year for 2015.

Kevin is recognised for his "technical ability, commercial awareness and client service”, with clients commenting that “in providing early acknowledgement and advices, even in the most difficult of cases…I do not recall an occasion whereupon I have called on him for his help and he has been found wanting”.